Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Review – Crockett’s 1875 Breakfast Camp

If you want an amazing breakfast while you are at the Smoky Mountains, then look no further than Crockett’s 1875 Breakfast Camp in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  Words cannot adequately convey how good the food is… BREAKFAST food at that!  I come from a family of granola bar eaters for breakfast that don’t appreciate how great your day can start off with an awesome breakfast, but even they have all come to love Crockett’s!   

When you think about their signature items, they are not for the Low Carber!  I was a bit worried when we decided to take family there.  I KNEW what they had that was delicious… that I was going to have to watch myself on!   Like: The incredible Aretha Frankenstein pancakes that defy gravity in their appearance and whose mouthwatering deliciousness just makes them hands-down the best pancakes in the universe!  OR their waffles made with the same batter.  OR their cinnamon buns that immediately heighten your senses the moment you walk in the door!  OR the pancakes with the cinnamon bun syrup.  Or their cathead biscuits. I could go on!   I know I’m not helping anyone here by mentioning any of this but…

…you MUST go there!  

There were many Low Carb options like:

  • Eggs: Anyway you want them! Fried, scrambled, omelets!
  • Meats: Pecan Smoked Bacon, Sausage Patties or Links, Turkey Sausage, Country Ham, Sugar Ham, Fried Bologna, Pan Fried Pork Chops, Steak, Trout

Granted, that leaves out pancakes, waffles, biscuits, potatoes, gravy, grits, french toast, rice, tortillas, refried beans etc. out, but just ask for double meat or substitute vegetables or fruit instead, preferably berries (but their cantaloupe is good if you have the carbs to spare in your counts for the day).  They are very accommodating.

I will confess that it was not easy watching everyone else enjoy what you know is sooooo heavenly, but honestly, I got a lot of confidence in my self control by making it through the visual and olfactory deluge of scrumptious sights and smells.  If I can resist the temptation to eat a bite of any of the things (mentioned above) there, I can pretty much resist anywhere!

That’s just the food!  The ambience is charming.  You do kinda feel like you are at one of the old camps back in 1875.  From the large picnic table seating to the decorations to even the bathrooms with their washtub sinks and weighted door pulls this place has a great look look to it!  Too, the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful with the deluge of questions that always comes when inquiring about low carb options.

Do not miss visiting the breakfast camp!  I’ll say it again.  DO NOT MISS visiting Crockett’s 1875 Breakfast Camp!

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Restaurant Review – Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant or Grill

We had a wonderful meal at the Applewood Farmhouse Grill in Sevierville, Tennessee (just before you get to Pigeon Forge).  The old restaurant has a similar menu, but can be difficult to get into at times and so we opted for the Grill for time sake.  

This place is a place not to miss if you visit the Smoky Mountain area!

There were many Low Carb options like:

  • Salads: Arugula Salad with Chicken, 
  • Main Entry: Grilled Catfish, Blackened Salmon, Apple Julep Grilled Chicken, Grilled Pork Chops, Steaks, Smoked Pork Loin, BBQ Bacon & Cheddar Grilled Chicken, Sugar Cured Ham.
  • Vegetables: Green Beans, Turnip Greens
  • Sandwiches/Burgers: Steak Burger, One Pound Burger with Cheese both if you substitute the fries for vegetables

Now every meal comes with their signature Julep fruit drink, apple fritters with apple butter and choice of vegetable or chicken noodle soup.  We can’t have most of the vegetables in the vegetable soup or the noodles in the chicken noodle soup.   Us Low Carbers have to not drink the julep, forgo the fritters and simply drink the broth of the soups.  That was particularly tough given I KNOW what those taste like.  If you’ve never had them, it is easier to say no to them.  I’ve got to say the temptation was really tough on me, but I held fast!

There is the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant and the Applewood Farmhouse Grill.  Similar menus with some exceptions that you can check out online.  (Namely pot roast, chicken livers and trout at the restaurant.  The trout is a good choice for us Low Carbers!)

DO go here if you visit the Sevierville area!  Also the shopping area that is part of the Applewood complex has many wonderful shops and items, especially if you love apples… this is the place to shop.  Their cider, butters and meats can be found in the store.  Too are cookbooks and kitchen gadgets and decor.

Definitely worth a visit!

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Restaurant Review – The Old Mill

Never have I been so stuffed as when we ate at The Old Mill Restaurant in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee recently!

I’m always on the lookout for a Low Carb friendly restaurant and The Old Mill had many options!  Follow the link above to see the menus for yourself!

There were so many Low Carb options like:

  • Appetizer: Pork Rinds with Bacon & Cheese Dip  
  • Salads: Signature Salad with Grilled Chicken, Ceasar Salad, House Salad, Wedge Salad
  • Soups: Tomato Basil, French Onion
  • Main Entry: Prime Rib, Steak, Grilled Pork Chop, Grilled Chicken, Cafe Chicken Florentine, Country Ham, Sugar Ham, Ground Round Patty, BBQ, Grilled Shrimp, Broiled Catfish, Broiled Trout, Quiche, Stir Fried Vegetables, Vegetable Plate
  • Vegetables: Green Beans, Cabbage, Turnip Greens
  • Sandwiches/Burgers: All if you leave off bread and substitute the fries for vegetables

I had the Ground Round with green beans and turnip greens.  My husband got the same thing.  It was the biggest slab of chopped meat that I have ever seen on a plate! I’m not kidding.  It was huge!  Okay, NOT eating their corn fritters was a killer.  We also had to not eat the complimentary corn chowder that comes with every meal, but the portions you get are enormous for everything else and so you don’t really care about what you couldn’t have.  We all had to get “to go” boxes to take home food there was so much!

There is the Old Mill itself and also the Pottery House Cafe & Grill.  Similar menus that you can check out online although the Old Mill menu doesn’t show the appetizer listing it has which appears on the Pottery House menu.  Either would be great to visit.

DO go here if you visit the Pigeon Forge area!  Well worth the wait to get in!  I  would go here again and again for quality of food and quantity of food for the low carb eater… heck, for any eater!

 

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Restaurant Carb Review – Merv’s

If ever there was a Low Carb restaurant made from heaven… Merv’s in Soddy Daisy, Tennessee is it!

In the beginning of my low carb lifestyle… I wasn’t wanting to go to restaurants much until I knew better what things I could actually eat and not screw up my carb counts.

My husband was out and sent me a picture of the Cheeseburger Salad he was eating at Merv’s!  We went there a few days later.

I KNEW I was getting a Cheeseburger Salad, but then I clapped my eyes on the appetizers and it said Pork Rinds “made to order”… in other words fresh made!  And anyone that is on a low carb diet knows… pork rinds are our friends!  It is versatile, low carb and low fat (oddly enough!)

Someone at the restaurant must be a low carb eater because I hadn’t seen those on a menu ANYWHERE… as of yet.

I was at first a little depressed going to Merv’s because they are known for their fries and onion rings as well as their burgers, but there was this great and satisfying substitute in fresh pork rinds!  To those that turn up their noses at the notion… don’t knock ’em till you have tried them!  These were fresh, crunchy and didn’t stick to the roof of your mouth. (You rind eaters out there know what I am talking about… not all pork rinds are created equal!) It was the perfect alternate choice to fries and onion rings!

The Cheeseburger Salad was beyond delicious!  Better than I imagined!  Get it if you go there!!!

Of course Merv’s also has a Grilled Chicken Salad, that I will try one day.  A Super Salad with ground beef and ham that my husband likes.  They also have “naked” Wings.

And if you remember the rule of thumb below… your choices are sort of endless at Merv’s!  There is a lot to eat there if you go bunless!

Now you can also go to Merv’s in Chattanooga, but they have egg rolls instead of pork rinds! (at least on the menu I saw)!!  But otherwise, same great menu!

Just remember the rule of thumb… basically, leave off the breads, breading, potatoes, onions, high carb fruits and veggies and desserts.  Get lettuce wrapped double meat proteins (if they aren’t on a bone) or  have proteins on top of the salads.  Beware of hidden salad carbs, especially in croutons and sugars in dressings or toppings!  If you follow this rule of thumb you can find quite a lot to eat.

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